10 Cosmetic Procedures You Should Avoid

April 7, 2008

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"On the surface, the concept of using liposuction to remove unwanted fat from one's own thighs and buttocks, and then injecting it into the breasts to make them larger, has appeal," the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery noted in a past statement on the procedure. "However, aesthetic surgeons certified in plastic surgery have long maintained that injection of fat, or any substance, into or behind the breast tissue can be potentially dangerous."

Dangerous, because there exists the potential for the reinjected fat to calcify, creating a scarred mass buried within the breast tissues. These calcifications can either mask or mimic the presence of breast cancer. And since between 7 and 14 ounces of fat are needed for the enlargement of a breast, there is no shortage of relocated fat to make the detection of breast cancer difficult, or even impossible.

More recently, a procedure referred to as the "boob jab" has made headlines by using artificial fillers to accomplish the same goal of bigger breasts. Specifically, the procedure requires the injection through the armpit of a temporary filler called Macrolane directly into the breast.

The procedure costs $4,000, and the results are temporary. And some doctors worry that this technique, too, could make it more difficult for current screening tests to detect breast cancer.

Cosmetic Leg Lengthening Surgery

How far would you go for a few more inches of height? For some, the quest for a more impressive stature leads them to a painful procedure that involves breaking both legs -- and using devices with screws attached to their legs to gradually extend their bones.

It's an extreme procedure to be sure. Yet, the technique is widely known in China and other Asian countries, where young professionals seek out the procedures to give themselves an edge in the business world.

But the procedure is also well known in the United States. Robert Rozbruch, the director of the Institute for Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction in New York, told ABC News that he does not approve of leg lengthening for cosmetic purposes as a new cosmetic surgery trend. And the patients who come to his center can only receive the surgery after extensive psychological testing.

"Orthopedic surgeons don't do cosmetic surgery," Rozbruch told ABC News. "It's not in our normal routine. We do this for a guy who is maybe [5 foot 2] or [5 foot 3] and well adjusted but being short is something that is very disturbing to them. When you talk to them you can feel the pain they go through."

But the results don't come cheap. Costs of the procedure generally top out at $120,000. For an average height gain of 3 inches, that's $40,000 per inch.

For those of a very short stature, the results may be worth the price tag and the pain. But Roth said the procedure is a poor choice if vanity is the main motivation.

"For purely cosmetic surgery purposes, I certainly would never let somebody in my family have that done," Roth said.

Buttock Implants

While many people hit the gym and suffer through crash diets to attain a smaller behind, there are others who actually seek out surgical solutions for a larger, rounder butt.

For these people, cosmetic surgery can offer buttock implants. Unlike breast implants, which are filled with either silicone gel or saline, buttock implants are solid slabs of silicone, positioned beneath the fibrous lining of the buttock muscles.